Terrebonne schools lead the way on curriculum changes

Published: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 6:13 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 22, 2013 at 6:13 p.m.

As teachers struggle to come to grips with a new national curriculum, Terrebonne Parish school leaders are taking matters into their own hands.

Louisiana is moving toward Common Core Standards, national guidelines that detail what students should be learning in each grade.

The Common Core is widely considered more rigorous than Louisiana’s previous standards, requiring students to know more complex concepts earlier. School officials on all levels say the new curriculum will make students more competitive and education more compatible from state to state.

But many teachers say the huge, complicated change means they’re having trouble understanding exactly what students are expected to know. They say the new standards are vague, sometimes confusing and often don’t match with the tests students take.

That’s especially problematic for Louisiana teachers because of new laws that tie their pay and job security to students’ test scores.

Terrebonne Parish Superintendent Philip Martin unveiled a plan that might help clear up some of that confusion at a meeting of teachers on Wednesday. Under the proposal, top teachers in Terrebonne and other nearby districts would work together to create day-by-day lesson plans to give teachers concrete examples of how the new curriculum works.

“We don’t want to tell teachers what to do. But teachers need to know what is expected of them,” Martin said, adding the plan is in its infant stages.

“It’s an easy thing for us to say, but it’s a monumental task to put together,” Martin said. “There’s a lot of organization that has to happen here.”

Martin said the plans, once finished, would not be mandatory.

“We don’t want to tell teachers this is something they must do,” Martin said. “It’s more of a road map.”

School officials are hoping to bring other nearby school systems into the fold to create the plans. So far, Lafourche, Tangipahoa, Assumption and St. Mary parishes have expressed interest, according to Kevin George, district support deputy for those parishes.

George is part of this area’s “district support team,” new groups of former administrators who work for the state Education Department helping local school districts deal with the wave of changes planned for coming years. He said this coalition is an example of placing more authority in the hands of local school systems, rather than the state bureaucracy.

“The philosophy of the state department is that the people who are closest to the classroom should be making the important decisions,” George said. “We don’t want to create a curriculum that every teacher has to follow.”

While the consortium is getting organized, George said teachers can visit the “Teacher Toolbox” that will go on the Department of Education’s website, www.louisianabelieves.com, next week.

The toolbox will include videos, sample lesson plans and other materials to help teachers grasp the changes.

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

<p>As teachers struggle to come to grips with a new national curriculum, Terrebonne Parish school leaders are taking matters into their own hands.</p><p>Louisiana is moving toward Common Core Standards, national guidelines that detail what students should be learning in each grade. </p><p>The Common Core is widely considered more rigorous than Louisiana's previous standards, requiring students to know more complex concepts earlier. School officials on all levels say the new curriculum will make students more competitive and education more compatible from state to state.</p><p>But many teachers say the huge, complicated change means they're having trouble understanding exactly what students are expected to know. They say the new standards are vague, sometimes confusing and often don't match with the tests students take. </p><p>That's especially problematic for Louisiana teachers because of new laws that tie their pay and job security to students' test scores.</p><p>Terrebonne Parish Superintendent Philip Martin unveiled a plan that might help clear up some of that confusion at a meeting of teachers on Wednesday. Under the proposal, top teachers in Terrebonne and other nearby districts would work together to create day-by-day lesson plans to give teachers concrete examples of how the new curriculum works.</p><p>“We don't want to tell teachers what to do. But teachers need to know what is expected of them,” Martin said, adding the plan is in its infant stages. </p><p>“It's an easy thing for us to say, but it's a monumental task to put together,” Martin said. “There's a lot of organization that has to happen here.”</p><p>Martin said the plans, once finished, would not be mandatory.</p><p>“We don't want to tell teachers this is something they must do,” Martin said. “It's more of a road map.” </p><p>School officials are hoping to bring other nearby school systems into the fold to create the plans. So far, Lafourche, Tangipahoa, Assumption and St. Mary parishes have expressed interest, according to Kevin George, district support deputy for those parishes. </p><p>George is part of this area's “district support team,” new groups of former administrators who work for the state Education Department helping local school districts deal with the wave of changes planned for coming years. He said this coalition is an example of placing more authority in the hands of local school systems, rather than the state bureaucracy.</p><p>“The philosophy of the state department is that the people who are closest to the classroom should be making the important decisions,” George said. “We don't want to create a curriculum that every teacher has to follow.” </p><p>While the consortium is getting organized, George said teachers can visit the “Teacher Toolbox” that will go on the Department of Education's website, www.louisianabelieves.com, next week. </p><p>The toolbox will include videos, sample lesson plans and other materials to help teachers grasp the changes.</p><p>Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.</p>